P E T R I F I E D
by Chopsticks-Pony
Summary: Entries in Maud Pie's diary hold a dark secret.


Dear Diary,

Today I was excited to finally find what I came to Ponyville for. But it was quite unfortunate that it was so unexpectedly long. Additionally, it was unsettling to hear the story about it from Fluttershy. I waited patiently a long time to not arouse suspicion to finally discover something. I am making a note that I need to study Fluttershy's "stare" ability in order to make this work.

* * *

" _Rock; you are a rock._

 _Gray. You are gray._

 _Like a rock, which you are._

 _Rock."_

* * *

Dear Diary,

Boulder's increasing loneliness has been hard, but that finally changed. As of a few hours ago, I managed to get him a new friend. I wanted to be bolder (pun intended, make note for standup comedy) and test a subject that might prove difficult, but I had to settle for something else. She wandered away too far. I tried to make her smile with some comedy but she was too scared. I will probably need Pinkie's help to grow the collection of friends.

Contrary to everypony's belief, I really enjoy over reactive expressions. They remind me of my sisters. Capturing those emotions is an art form that I am glad to have mastered in rock sculpting in my free time. But they pale in comparison to the real thing. Not that anypony would notice. But I do. And so does Boulder.

* * *

" _Kites are cool."_

* * *

Dear Diary,

Boulder wants more. But I have to slow down. I'm glad he understands that, but that doesn't make it any easier of course. He noticed lately that I have been—jealous—of Pinkie Pie's circle of friends. Today, the one with different eyes was looking for her little lost one, Boulder's new friend. Since you are a diary, you can't see what her face was at finding what she was looking for at long last. It was nice to capture such a wonderful expression of love.

* * *

" _Rocks take on different properties when interacting with magic."_

* * *

Dear Diary,

Boulder is like a foal who keeps getting what he wants, and I think I am spoiling him for it. But I can't help myself. The new friends he and I have made are great. My newfound obsession for the growing number in my rock garden is overtaking my research. But I'm not complaining. This new expression caught today was that of anger. My good friend Starlight came over today. She was amazed at the collection, but she is really smart. She kind of put two and two together between the friends, forever locked in their expressions.

It was quite fascinating really. I would have preferred to carve her as stone. Her tone, waving hoof, beading eyes, it put shivers down my back, though I did my best to not show it. Boulder was getting really excited. I couldn't argue with him. Not like I had a choice at this point. I'm glad that the emergency plan worked as quickly as it did, otherwise she might have teleported.

What is happening? I know that Boulder is only a fragment piece I found. Victim. Sad. Lonely. And I am sorry that I am the only one who seems to hear him. But now I can have long conversations with several and so can he.

I think Boulder likes it here the best. Makes me happy that Ponyville was the best choice. There's only so much of other rocks that Boulder can take. Maybe—maybe me too.

* * *

" _Rocks; these are my rocks._

 _Sediments—make me sedimental._

 _Smooth and round, asleep in the ground._

 _Shades of brown and gray."_

* * *

Dear Diary,

Pinkie Pie came uninvited today. She complimented on my garden of friends. She said that my rock sculptures were really improving. Poor Pinkie is so gullible. I told her that I was making stone effigies of the ones who were lost and disappearing. She asked if maybe I could use my Maud sense to help her find them. I said maybe. I don't lie to my sister. I don't really lie to anypony. But I couldn't fool my own sister. She could tell that I was disturbingly happy. Pinkie said she was starting to become afraid of me.

Ouch. That hurt.

This was a bad time. I've seen Pinkie Sense help her out of a lot of things. So I invited her to sleep over. It was dark, and she sometimes gets lost going back to Ponyville trying to take a shortcut. Of course as I predicted, she was only too happy for the "first sister sleep over at my cave house!" as she put it.

* * *

" _And you melt my heart more easily than sodium-rich plagioclase feldspar."_

* * *

Dear Diary,

When Pinkie Pie woke up in the middle of the night, I had it ready for her. It worked around her twitchy tail. It is unusual that, with all the varied expressions I have in my garden of friends that tiredness was going to be the one I captured with Pinkie Pie. There are now twenty expressions in the collection. Twenty poses. Twenty voices. Twenty friends. Twenty for me. Twenty for Boulder.

It probably won't be long until it grows more. I just hope that when he's hungry, Boulder doesn't cannibalize any of them. Well, now Pinkie Pie doesn't have to be petrified anymore. Well, pun intended, she is too tired to be petrified, yet she is. Forever.

* * *

" _With the right stone, you could rule all of Equestria if you wanted to."_

* * *

Dear Diary,

Twilight and her friends came, demanding to know what was going on. It was a good thing that I know how to make mirrors. The silver deposits were necessary for the backing of the glass, which, I also know how to make from silica I found in the caves here. I know you won't be wondering why because you are just a diary, but today I had to get my perfected technique and apply it universally to multiple subjects. To say the least, it is not easy, and I don't exactly have very good testing methods.

Honestly, I was kind of scared. The number of subjects was pretty high. And it seems now that I was finally caught. Rainbow Dash's mouth was open and she was yelling when she came at me. But she dropped out of the sky like a rock. Since she was a rock after all. Twilight tried to reason, and her look of concern was also something I did not expect to keep. Forever. I never expected to have the opportunity to capture the expression of confidence. But Applejack gave me that chance. Rarity's disgust at the realization of the voices of my garden's collection I hear were real, raised hoof and unable to stomach it all.

But the most difficult among them was Fluttershy.

The cockatrice that I came to Ponyville for was worked perfectly, but the biggest challenge was right in front of me. But my studies were complete. I just needed to break her concentration and keep her in a daze. When she's hurt, it seems, her Stare isn't quite as effective. Boulder helped. He hit her right in the left eye. He always did have good aim. She never did a very good job taking care of him, and I think he resented that.

* * *

" _Rock; you are a rock._

 _But I know you weren't always a rock._

 _Set in stone now forever._

 _Gray like a rock. For now, you are a rock."_

* * *

Dear Diary,

I don't understand how Pinkie Pie does it. She can put up with all the voices. But me? I can't. Rocks make great friends. So do the ponies I've met. And I had thought putting them together would be even better. They were for Boulder, a fragment of another who was overtaken by the cockatrice. And for his sake, my longest best friend, I couldn't leave now. I couldn't smash any of them, because I really did care for them.

But I have to admit, looking at my collection, I kind of envy them. Eternal rock and together forever; there's not any better gift. All of my friends. All of Boulder's friends—protected. That shouldn't be a problem for very long.

So, I'm making this my last diary entry. Maybe somepony will find it and figure out a way to undo all of it. I really hope not, but even I can't be that selfish. Here comes the cockatrice, so I have to go now to join my friends.

* * *

" _Rock. I am gray. Like a rock."_


End file.
